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"Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly.
Those who are willing to endure a tremendous risk of failure and loss in order to achieve something greater for themselves and the people they love and care for all while attaining the fullest stature of which they are innately capable of despite their position in society, acquiring something from nothing . . . now that's the American Dream. The American Dream is one that can consist of many themes, good and bad, such as friendship, love, lust, greed, betrayal, loss, and broken relationships. Despite the motive for one achieving the American dream, the goal is universally equivalent amongst all those who strive towards it, and that is to achieve something greater for themselves in which they weren't able to before because of circumstance. Dr. Martin Luther King's dream was for his four young children to be able to live in a nation that judges them not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. Angered by the gap of the American Dream and his own reality, Al Capone's dream was to achieve success any way he saw fit, which was the start of him engaging in criminal activities in a land in which he deemed as an "unjust society". As many can see, various people from many backgrounds sought-after the American dream for both selfless and selfish purposes. One unique case of an individual's ordeals in acquiring the American Dream however, would be that of Chris Gardner's and his tribulations in The City By The Bay.
The "American Dream" of Chris Gardner's is one that is beset on all sides by the inequities of the many unruly circumstances in the world. However, though requiring a great deal of effort, Chris Gardner's case is one that is proven to be very rewarding once overcoming these strenuous ordeals. Chris Gardner's idea of the "American Dream" is one that most importantly involves going to any lengths necessary to protect his son Christopher, and shelter him from having a life with an absent father, while also being able to provide for himself as well as Christopher financially.

Essays Related to Failing and Finding the American Dream

The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement- wrote James Truslow Adams in Epic Of America' 1931. ... But the drug-a-delic duo stumble through Vegas in hallucinatory hopes of finding the American dream. ... Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas' also uses the idea of the American Dream as a key theme. ... "I tell you, my man, this is the American Dream in action! ... Both novels portray the negative aspects of The American Dream' and seem to have the ...

Several authors have attempted to capture the essence of the American Dream, but few have reached the status of Arthur Miller in his epic piece, Death of a Salesman. ... Willy's path towards the American Dream, was marred by impractical ideals. ... Evidently, Willy Loman's inability to attain the American Dream had much do with his impractical and misconstrued values. ... He was just passionately aiming towards the American Dream, however, ended up as a "phony little fake." ... The American Dream defines the heart and soul of aging Willy Loman, a man confronting failure in a succe...

These are some of the answers you would receive from somebody if asked what they thought the American Dream is. But what is truly the American Dream? ... Slaves in America simply had the dream of freedom. ... William Faulkner, author of Go Down, Moses, leads us to believe that the dream of wealth and ownership is a failure and that happiness and your finding of your destiny is your paradise. ... If you consider the American Dream wealth, property, and status, well then he failed. ...

John Scanzoni developed a model of marriage that is considered by many to be the preferred norm for American marriages even today. ... This type of marriage was made possible when America moved out of an agrarian society and into an industrialized one as it did around 1840 (Bernard 9). ... There was also the feeling for some that they were failing in child rearing. ... At the same time, Unions in the United States were growing and they were finding that many corporations had a commitment to their workers. ... Under these conditions, business profits grew enormously, and the American workin...

Each change that America took was towards finding its identity, which thus leads to the expansion and definition of the term, freedom. ... Foner, who wrote The Story of American Freedom, reveals three elements that promoted the notion of freedom according to Americans living in that time. ... The first included the westward movement whereby America adopted the notion of manifest destiny' that means that America had the divine right to conquer all of North America. ... This shows how greedy, selfish, and undiplomatic they each became in order to follow their dream of freedom and thei...

Gustaitis cites two important incidents that opened the eyes of Americans. ... The nickel and dime empire has been a part of American culture sine the mid 1800s. ... Woolworth's employers backed his dream by loaning him $315.41. ... Consumers were finding that during such a hard time the Woolworth stores were a bargain. ... Woolworth's own health was failing. ...

American Beauty In life, everyone must make choices. ... Dreaming of a life which is out of our grasps is a common thing. ... Angela symbolizes his dream of a perfect life, a life where everything is simple and everyone is beautiful. ... Jane also has a run-in with Carolyn, when she slaps Jane for failing to appreciate the wealth that's been accumulated for her. ... Ever" (American Beauty movie). ...

Doctorow attempts to debunk the western myth of the American dream. ... Blue is somewhat cowardly, first hiding behind Molly, and failing miserably once he confronts the Bad Man from Bodie. ... This belief, like the American dream itself, is an illusion. ... According to the American dream, we are to believe that not only can wild nature be tamed but that it is possible for us to remake ourselves. ... The American dream of progress is an illusion. ...